1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to stringed instruments, and in particular to a guide for stringed instrument and method.
2. Background of the Invention
The banjo is a plucked string instrument, popular for its clear, bell-like sound. It's name can be traced back to the “banjar”, an African string instrument. Some etymologists believe the name is a particular pronunciation of the term “bandore”, though recent studies suggests that the name started out as a Senegambian term for the bamboo stick used for the instrument's neck.
Modern banjos are available in a number of different versions, including four- and five-string models. Because of the rapid decay in sound when plucked, banjo sound sustains poorly, and for this reason must be played in a fast strumming or arpeggiation by the plucking hand. Banjos are thus referred to as “the fastest instrument out there”.
Major banjo components include a wooden or metal rim with a plastic or leather head (drumhead) stretched across it, a neck mounted on the side of the rim, a tailpiece attached to the rim opposite the neck, four or five strings, and a neck with a fingerboard. The construction is typically wooden, with combinations of maple, walnut, and ebony for fingerboards, pegheads, and the tops of bridges.
The earliest banjos didn't have frets (that is, they were unfretted), but most banjos today do have frets. The banjo strings themselves are generally metal, although nylon and gut are also used occasionally. Current banjo designs include resonator banjos (which have a detachable chamber, or resonator, on the back of the rim), and open back banjos, which don't.
Several popular styles are used to play the banjo in various forms of music. In bluegrass music, which uses the five-string resonator banjo extensively, it is often played in Scruggs style named after Earl Scruggs, melodic or Keith style, or two-finger style also called Reno style named after Don Reno. In these styles the emphasis is on arpeggiated figures played in a continuous eighth-note rhythm.
American Old-time music typically uses the five-string open back banjo. It is played in a number of different styles, the most common of which are called claw-hammer (or “clawhammer”) and frailing, both characterized by the use of a downward rather than upward motion when striking the strings with the fingers. Frailing techniques utilize the thumb to catch the fifth string for a drone after each strum, or the thumb is used to pick out additional melody notes in what is known as ‘drop-thumb’.
Because of the rapid arpeggiation required to play the banjo, it is extremely important to have the plucking hand in the correct position and height over the strings. For example, the index finger should ideally be located approximately ¼ inch off the strings when not plucking them. This creates a problem, because the natural position for the index finger is one to two inches above the strings, an incorrect location referred to by savvy banjo players as “fly away finger”.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide an apparatus and method to teach students of stringed instruments to maintain their plucking hands in a position which places the plucking fingers around ¼ inch from the strings, and prevents “fly away finger”.
Existing Designs
Traditionally, banjo players have practiced for years to teach their muscles the muscle memory required to position their plucking fingers in the correct rest position over the strings. A major disadvantage associated with this approach is the large amount of time required to teach the student the correct technique and hand position. Thus, it would be desirable to provide an apparatus and method which would teach correct hand position more effectively.